Knight Out Of Time
by Revan's Wraith
Summary: Long story short, the Ashen One wakes up and finds the Fire Keeper gone, and goes on a quest to find her, but the question is? Will he succeed or will he fall?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.**

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_"Ashen One..."_

Those were the words that caused the armored man with a burly upper-body to snap his magenta eyes open. He wore a full suit of black plated armor that had silver ornamentals, and black clothing underneath. Draped over his shoulders and going down to about the back of his knees was a red cape with a golden dragon symbol on the center. The helmet he wore was a closed helmet that had the same designs as his armor.

However, not very long after he opened his eyes did they narrow a bit, and his lips curved downwards into a small scowl. The person he had heard call out to him wasn't there, the Fire Keeper he was expecting to see upon opening his eyes wasn't sitting next to him.

_Strange..._

He found it to be odd that the Fire Keeper wasn't by his side and slowly started to sit up.

_Could I have imagined things? _He highly doubted he would have awoken from his long and deep slumber by imagining the Fire Keeper's voice, but it was a possibility, at least a very tiny one.

As he wondered this, the Ashen One's ears were graced by a faint, and soft voice that said only two words.

_"Ashen One..."_

Hearing those soft words made him stop thinking, and look straight ahead at the one, and only exit of the place he had been resting in for who knows how long.

_Fire Keeper._

He knew who that voice belonged to, and would never forget the warmth it carried, but there was something off about it, something that bothered him. He didn't quite know what it was, but he felt like there was pain and sadness in it.

Wanting-no needing to know why he was sensing sadness in her voice, the Ashen One climbed out of the coffin he had been sleeping in, and made his way to the exit. He didn't know what had happened to the shrine they had sought shelter in so before leaving the room he pulled out his weapons. They were the twin straight swords of the late Black Hand Gotthard.

They were made out of some fine steel with the blades being a silvery color that could easily reflect the light, while hilts were made out of polished bronze with the leather wrapping it being a maroonish red. As for the guards and pommels they were gold. On his back was a kite shield that was dark teal with a golden trim and a golden crest on it.

Upon reaching the door that would lead him to the rest of the temple, the Ashen One noticed that the door was rotting and looked to be in terrible condition.

_I doubt I'm going to run into anything, but.._

He believed the chances of encountering something were low, but knowing his luck, he realized that it was better to play it safe than sorry.

Sheathing the blade in his right hand for a quick second, the Ashen One grabbed onto the door handle and carefully opened the door. He then unsheathed his sword and pressed forward.

He didn't encounter anything upon walking through the doorway, but the Ashen One did notice the room temperature change.

He huffed at this, and thought, _cold._

He wasn't a fan of places that had low temperatures like the snowfields in Ariandel, and would have preferred something like a swamp for they're usually warm, but that was just his preference.

Nevertheless, the Ashen One began to search the remains of the temple in an attempt to find the Fire Keeper.

He didn't have much to search since the temple had crumbled over the years, and was unsuccessful in locating the Fire Keeper, which caused him to scowl once more.

_Where are you, Fire Keeper?_

* * *

After seeing that the Fire Keeper wasn't in the temple, the Ashen One left the temple through the front entrance. It consisted of two large metal double doors that were practically covered in rust.

They took some effort to move, and while he wasn't able to open them fully, he was able to move them to where he could walk through them.

Upon opening the doors, the Ashen One was welcomed by the sight of a winter forest, with evergreens all around the entrance to the temple, much to his chagrin. Further away, he spotted some snowy crags; their cliff faces an unspoken danger of the landscape. Beyond that, he caught a glimpse of what looked like the tip of a tower.

_Beautiful.._

The Ashen One had expected to see nothing but darkness upon leaving the temple, so seeing all of this made him feel a bit happy. However, that happiness he felt did not last for long, for he quickly remembered the Fire Keeper and the pain he heard in her voice.

He shook his head, and after doing so, his expression became serious and he clenched his fists.

_I'm coming, Fire Keeper._

He didn't have the slightest clue as to where she had gone off to, but that wasn't going to stop him from looking. He was going to look for her and keep searching for her until he found her. As for why it was because she was all he had left.

He had no idea what had happened to everyone else after extinguishing the First Flame, and while it was possible they were alive, he didn't know that for sure. However, what he did know was that the Fire Keeper was still alive, for if she wasn't, then how could he have heard her voice?

Sure, the possibility of him imagining her voice was out there, but he couldn't believe that. He just couldn't.

Unclenching his fists, the Ashen One looked down and removed a wooden box that was on his belt. It was a small, plain box weathered with age, capable of fitting on one's belt by a metal clasp, and while it did look mundane, the box was capable of storing an unlimited amount of objects, with an unlimited variety of shapes and sizes. How it opened was via a portal to its storage realm; it was capable of holding any manner of objects inside, without issue.

He then opened it and stuck his hand in it for no longer than two seconds before pulling it out along with an item. The item he took out from his bottomless box was a black spear that was once wielded by a Ringed Knight.

The Ashen One then gave it a quick look over to check its condition, and after doing so, gave himself a small nod and put the wooden box back on his belt.

_This will do._

Satisfied with his current loadout, the Ashen One officially began his journey to find the Fire Keeper.

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_**To Be Continued.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter length has still yet to be determined, so don't assume all chapters will be less than 2k words.**

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

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As the Ashen One trekked through the snowy forest with his spear being used as a walking stick, he thought about those that were in Firelink Shrine when he and the Fire Keeper snuffed out the First Flame.

He didn't think he would have much time to think about them, since the last time he went on a journey similar to this, he was almost always fighting, but this time it was different.

Unlike before, the Ashen One barely encountered anything. Sure, he would spot a creature of some kind off in the distance, but none of them interacted with him or wandered too closely to him, almost all of them kept their distance from him.

Nonetheless, It was odd for him, but he wasn't entirely against all of this, for it does give him the chance to think about Andre the Blacksmith, Greirat the Thief, Irina of Carim, and many others like he was doing so now.

At the moment, the Ashen One was currently thinking about Greirat the Thief.

He liked him, and indeed found him to be extremely witty, but what he was currently thinking about was who was Loretta to him. He had never asked, despite all of the talks they had, so he couldn't help from wondering when thinking about him now.

It was obvious she was someone very important to him, but the question he was asking himself was_ how_ important was she to him? Was she his mother, or was she someone much closer?

He had spoken about the two of them quite a handful of times with Greirat, but not once throughout their conversations did Greirat ever mention their names, so now that he had time to think about the past, he couldn't help but wonder if the bone he had given him was one of the two.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to dwell on these thoughts forever, for as he soon entered a clearing, and at the center of it, found a woman who had light blue hair crouched down and cutting into the body of a large grey creature. As for her clothing, she wore a brown fur coat, and brown fur pants.

He didn't notice this at first upon entering the open area, but she was humming a soft tune as she carved into the dead animal. It also looked like she didn't notice him, but the Ashen One was a little skeptical about that, and decided to stare at her from afar.

Eventually, after who knows how long of staring at her, she stopped what she was doing and said in a loud and clear tone as she stood up. "You know, it's very rude to stare at others like that."

At this, the Ashen One tensed slightly, and tightened the grip on the spear he was holding. He didn't know if this person was going to be a friend or foe, but he had a feeling it was going to be the latter.

Seeing how he didn't respond to her, the woman turned around to face him and said as she did so. "Anyways, do you need something from me?"

The Ashen One said nothing once again and continued to stare at her. She was old, but nowhere near as old as the shrine maiden back at Firelink Shrine. However, unlike before, he eventually replied.

**"... I'm looking for someone, a woman to be specific."**

That was what he declared and upon declaring this, the woman chuckled. The tone he had spoken in was deep and masculine.

"A woman?" The blue-haired woman questioned in a humored tone. "You're looking for a woman all the way up here in _that_?"

The Ashen One was silent at first and didn't quite understand what she meant by _in that_, but he eventually answered her question while nodding his head.

**"I am."**

At this, the woman laughed once more, which caused him to scowl, however, after a while she asked him another question. "Can you be a bit more specific? I can't really help you if you don't tell me what she looks like."

The Ashen One remained silent again, but that wasn't because he couldn't recall what she looked like or anything of that sort, he was just having a difficult time coming up with a short and simple description of her.

**"... Pale blonde hair, fair skin, soft voice, wears an ornamental eye plate on her face, and wears a long black dress." **The Ashen One revealed after nearly a minute of thinking about how to easily describe her.

The woman once again furrowed her brows and began to try recalling someone who matched that description.

"... Sorry, but I haven't seen someone like that out here." She stated aft a good while of thinking with a shake of her head.

The Ashen One frowned at this, and said in a lacklustering voice. **"I see,"** before continuing his trek.

The woman, who had expected him to ask a couple more questions was surprised by this action, and cautiously watched him move past her. He didn't seem hostile, and appeared to be no longer interested in her, but that wasn't enough for her to drop her guard and go back to what she was doing before he came along.

Eventually though, she lost visual on him, and upon doing so, she let out a sigh and muttered as she turned back to the carcass of the animal behind her. "I wonder if I missed out on a great opportunity to hear some interesting stories? It's been a long time since I interacted with something that's not an animal.."

* * *

After leaving the old woman to the thing she was doing before, the Ashen One let loose a sigh. His search continued, and he still had no idea where the Fire Keeper went.

_It's unfortunate she didn't see anyone that matched the Fire Keeper's description, but I guess it's to be expected._

He wasn't expecting much from that old woman, since they were indeed in what looked like to be the middle of nowhere, but he was secretly hoping she did.

Nevertheless, he was disappointed, but this wasn't going to stop him. He believed that once he got to a civilized place, he would find somebody that had seen her or something better. He would find her there.

With that thought in mind, the Ashen One trudged through the snow towards where he assumed civilization was located.

Nothing interesting happened for a while, but as the sun drew closer and closer to setting, the Ashen One started to feel a presence watching him. He wasn't sure who or what was watching him, but he did feel something's gaze on him.

Curious as to what was watching him, the Ashen One casually placed his other hand onto the black spear and started to look around in an attempt to find whatever it is that was watching him. He didn't see anything, and the trees didn't look like the tree women he had encountered in Ariandel, which caused him to scowl.

_Maybe I'm just imagining things?_ He highly doubted this possibility, and was tempted to try locating whatever was watching him when suddenly he heard the sound of a tree branch breaking to his left.

Turning an entire ninety degrees to his left, the Ashen One looked for whatever had caused this noise, but didn't see anything. All he saw was snow and ice falling to the ground.

His scowl deepened._ Why is the snow and ice fall-_

It clicked with him, and no sooner did it click, did he look up and see something that looked like a cat hugging the tree he was standing not too far from and staring down at him. It was big, and had whitish-grey fur and yellow eyes.

He wasn't sure what it was, and had never seen something like this before, but it growled upon being spotted by him before leaping off of the tree and onto the ground behind the Ashen One.

The Ashen One followed its movements with his eyes, and watched as it leapt over him and gracefully land on the snow that was below it.

Once on the ground, the large cat hissed at him and showed him its fangs as it began to walk to its left.

He didn't react to any of this and simply watched it with curious eyes. It wasn't as big as a Great Wolf, but it was bigger than a normal wolf and appeared to be a lot more agile than them despite it being bigger in terms of size.

As it continued to walk to the Ashen One's right, it snarled at him a couple more times, but still, nothing happened. He wasn't fazed at all by its attempt to frighten him. However, he was concerned about getting hit by its claws.

Suddenly, and without any warning, the large feline bolted forward and pounced onto a tree before pouncing at him.

The movements it made were swift, and completely unexpected, but the Ashen One had been mentally preparing for the unexpected and was able to quickly move out of the way.

Once out of the way, he turned back around and saw it leaping towards him again.

He dodged the attack once more, but unlike last time, he did a combat roll.

The large cat didn't stop there though. As soon as it touched the ground it did everything in its power to turn its body towards him and tried once more to attack him again. It had pounced on him just like how did before, but unlike previously, it attempted to hit him with its claws as he rolled away.

It was unsuccessful in this attempt, but that didn't deter it in the slightest. It desperately tried to him several more times not only with its claws and pouncing attacks but its mouth as well.

Eventually, after who knows how many evasions he performed, the Ashen One ignited the black spear and thrusted it into the large cat, killing it almost instantaneously.

Once certain it was dead, he removed his spear and began to get another look at it as he acquired its souls. He didn't feel any remorse for it since he had defended himself, but that didn't mean he wasn't fascinated by it. He had encountered all kinds of beings, but not once had he ever encountered something like this.

_The world has really changed. _

He highly doubted he would have encountered something like this back when he was on his quest to find the Lords of Cinder, he was positive of that. If anything, he'd probably encounter some corrupted version of it, but not the actual animal like he had done so now.

Certain of this and now done with his examination of the dead cat, the Ashen one stopped staring at it, and was about to resume his journey when suddenly he heard a womanly voice from behind.

"You shouldn't continue on, it gets a lot more dangerous at night."

The Ashen One turned around upon hearing this, and saw the woman he had met earlier standing a few feet away from him.

**"... Have you been following me?"** He asked inquisitively. He was surprised to see her here and was curious about how she had managed to get behind him like this without making a single noise.

"Yes and no, I wasn't following you at first, but once I was done harvesting that Rhinaco, I decided to see if you were still alive or if you got killed by some of the wildlife." She answered with a smile.

**"... I see."** Came the Ashen One's response.

"Anyways, wanna come back to my place? It's about an hour or two back in that direction." She declared as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

He didn't say anything at first, and was hesitant to accept. He had to find the Fire Keeper as soon as possible, but if what she said was true, then wouldn't it be best to go with her for now? Not to mention, he could learn a little more about the new world he was in now.

**"... Sure."** He agreed after a decent while of thinking on it, which caused the woman to smile.

"Wonderful, it's been so long, since I've had company!" She energetically stated before turning around and marching off in the direction he had came from.

The Ashen one said nothing in response to hearing this, and slowly trailed behind her.

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_**To Be Continued. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.**

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"So, this is where I live." The elderly woman declared as she turned so that she could see him while gesturing towards the cave.

The Ashen One said nothing at this and simply continued to follow her. However, as they got closer, he noticed something peculiar at the mouth of the cave.

There was a barrier, similar to the one on the bridge that led into Ithryll of the Boreal Valley.

_Interesting..._

He had originally found the old woman to be somewhat strange and weird, but upon seeing the magical barrier, his opinion on her changed greatly.

**"... Who are you?"** He questioned with a trace of curiosity in his voice, which caused her to come to a stop right before the magical wall.

"No one really," she answered after giving it some thought. "Just an old woman."

He doubted that, but didn't say anything more and watched as she passed through the barrier before following behind her. He had expected it to stop him from entering since the last time he tried to pass through one of these he needed a small doll, but to his surprise, he was able to walk through it with no problems whatsoever.

Once through, the Ashen One saw something he didn't see from outside of the cave, he saw a small wooden house at the back of the cave that had a fenced area on the right side of it. There were a couple of animals inside of the fenced area that had immediately noticed him and the old woman, but they didn't do anything more besides look at the two of them.

**"Are you really just an old woman?"** The Ashen One inquired after seeing her home.

"I'd like to believe so." She answered after coming to a stop once more and looking at him. "Why? Do I not seem like one?"

**"Yes."** The Ashen One answered with zero hesitation.

The woman laughed at this, and said in an amused tone. "Well, I guess if you were comparing me to your _average_ forty your old woman, I would be seen as _unusual_ or _unordinary_, but are you really the one to be asking me if I'm normal? I mean, you are after all the one wearing armor like that in a place like this."

The Ashen One said nothing at this. He wasn't sure what she was trying to say, but it sounded like she was calling him the strange one.

**"... I have a high resistance to a lot of things,"** the Ashen One declared after a good several seconds. **"Frost is one of them." **

"I can tell," she assured with a small smile. "You don't seem to be bothered by the temperature at all despite it being around five degrees."

**"... Yeah."** He admitted with a bit of reluctance. He wasn't sure what to say, so he had decided to agree with her.

After that was said, the woman laughed once more before saying, "you really are a strange man."

She then continued to walk towards the log house as the Ashen One frowned at her comment.

* * *

After entering the old woman's home, the Ashen One was told to make himself comfortable while she tends to her animals real quick. She didn't take that long, and upon returning she asked him if he would like something to eat.

He, of course, told her that he was fine and not hungry at all, but the woman merely laughed at this, and told him that she would make him some food and that it was okay not to be modest.

Unbeknownst to her, the Ashen One had frowned at her statement. He wasn't trying to be modest at all, he was simply refusing to eat because he didn't need to eat. He was undead and undead were beings that didn't need to eat at all.

Nonetheless, she had made him a meal, and upon giving him said meal, the woman asked him a question.

"So, who exactly are you?"

The Ashen One was silent at first as he removed his helmet, but after several seconds he responded. "A lost and sovereignless soul."

She didn't say anything at this, instead she furrowed her brows and pondered his words.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked with curiosity in her voice after a couple seconds of thinking about his answer.

"I am, or _was_ unkindled," he revealed in a solemn tone. "I was unfit to be cinder, and ultimately died in the process of trying to become one."

The woman said nothing at this, for she didn't know how to reply. She had never heard these terms before, so all she could do was stare at him questioningly.

"However," he continued as he picked up the fork next to the plate, not even aware of the look she was giving him. "I had the chance to become it once again after Prince Lothric refused to link the First Flame, but decided it was better to have a world without fire, and so I allowed _the_ fire to die."

"... I see." The woman stated after nearly a minute of staring at him. She still didn't understand what he was talking about in the slightest, but assumed it was part of the reason why he didn't feel cold and things like that.

"Do you have a name?" She asked after a few seconds of silently gazing at him.

"I did, yes." He answered after swallowing the food he had been chewing.

"May I know it?" She requested with the smallest of smiles.

The Ashen One said nothing and looked at her.

"... Why?" He asked after several seconds of some intense staring.

She shrugged and said, "why not?"

The Ashen One frowned in response to her reply. The last time he was asked for his name was after he gave the Painting Woman the Blood of a Dark Soul and that was something he had done begrudgingly.

Seeing him frown like that, the woman said in a joking manner. "What's wrong? Not fond of your name?"

"No, it's just been a long time since someone wanted to know my name." He revealed as he looked down at his food. "After I became unkindled, I was either addressed as Champion of Ash, or Ashen One, so somebody wanting to know my actual name is somewhat strange to me."

"Is it really?" The woman probed in a slightly awed voice.

"Yes." He affirmed with a small nod of his head.

"Wow," was her response. "So how old are you?"

"... I don't know," He proclaimed after giving it some deep thought. "I was young when I had tried to link the fire, and I don't know how many years it's been since I let the fire fade, so I could only assume it's been a very long time."

"I see, so are you like immortal then?" She inquired inquisitively. She still planned on acquiring his name, but at the moment, she was more focused on learning more about him than discovering that.

"In a way, yes." He confirmed. "However, I do not know where I would revive at if I died."

At this, the woman frowned a little. "So, you can die, but you'll just come back?"

"Yes." He asserted with another nod of his head.

"... What is it like?" She asked hesitantly.

"What is what like?" He questioned in response, he didn't have the slightest clue what she was asking about now.

"Death," she began with a bit of reluctance. "What does it feel like when you die, and is there another side you see before being resurrected or is there nothing?"

The Ashen One gave it some thought before saying to her. "Tiresome. Dying over and over again only to fight through hordes and hordes of enemies is truly tiresome. And no, there is nothing I see once I die."

"Hmph... And this woman you're looking for, is she just like you or is she different?" The woman questioned with traces of curiosity in her voice.

"... Different." He revealed after some time. "She is undead, but not unkindled. Her purpose is to serve the unkindled and guide them to the Kiln of the First Flame."

"... So was she your lover?" The woman probed after giving his answer some thought.

"... You ask a lot of questions." The Ashen One declared after looking at her for several seconds before returning to the food in front of him.

"I do." She affirmed. "The last time I had a conversation with someone was almost twenty years ago."

"That's a long time." The Ashen One claimed, which earned a chuckle from her.

"Maybe to me, but not to you." She stated in a humorous tone.

The Ashe One said nothing at this, for he wasn't entirely sure how to respond. He didn't know how much time had passed since letting the fire fade, so what she said could be true.

"Why are you out here and who exactly are you?" He asked in an attempt to change topics.

"Honestly speaking, I am not just an old woman, I am what some would consider to be either a witch or a shaman, and as for why I'm out here? It's because I grew tired of the lifestyle I was living and wanted to be free." She answered almost immediately.

He wasn't surprised to hear about her being a witch, for he had already figured she was someone like that, but what he was curious about was her old lifestyle.

"What did you do before getting here?" He queried.

"Lots of things really, but nothing notable." She claimed as her lips curved upwards into that of a small smile. "I was apart of a hunter clan and the chieftain's wife, so must of the things I did was helping him. It was nice at first, but as time passed it grew more and more stale to the point where it started to affect our marriage."

"I see..." Was the Ashen One's response.

* * *

After chatting with her some more, and spending the night in her living room, the Ashen One left the old woman's home.

"So, will I ever see you again, sir? Or will this be the last time I see you?" She asked as she leaned against one of the two support beams on her front porch.

**"... It will most likely be the last time you see me."** He answered after thinking about it for a while.

"Really? Well, if that's the case, then can I at least know your name?" She requested once more. "That way I can definitely say we were friends."

The Ashen One said nothing at first, but after what felt like a minute of silence, he replied. **"Uldren, Uldren is my name."**

"Uldren, huh? Interesting name, I'll definitely remember it." She told him with a smile.

The Ashen One didn't say anything and was about to turn around and resume his journey when suddenly she reached into her pocket, pulled something out, and tossed it to him.

He caught the thing she had thrown at him and upon doing so, she said, "that should help you on your quest. It's an amulet I made a few years ago that'll guide you to whatever you want most. I no longer need it, so you can have it."

**"... Thank you."** He declared after staring at it for several seconds as he looked up at her.

"Don't mention it." She affirmed with a wave of her hand. "Now, good luck on your quest in finding your Fire Keeper, I hope it ends well for you."

_Me too_, was all he thought as he turned around and started to leave the cave.

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_**To Be Continued.**_

_**So to answer possible questions, the reason why I didn't describe facial features is because I didn't want to reveal those yet, and the reason why there weren't bold letters throughout most of their conversation is because he wasn't wearing a helmet. No, helmet/mask/whatever thing equals no bold font. Anyways, that's all, so see yall later. **_


	4. Chapter 4

**You know, if I could write as good as I procrastinate, then I would already be done. Like, this is how it goes for me, I start writing, I write a sentence, I get up to use the restroom or do something else, I end writing for the day. That's it for me.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.  
**

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As the Ashen One sat with his arms crossed and his head tilted towards the ground, the burly man, who was right next to him and the driver of the carriage, complained about the war with _the_ _Empire_.

It had been countless days since the Ashen One departed from the old woman's home, and since then, he had encountered many animals that provided a decent amount of souls.

None of them were worth mentioning about, but the number of souls he had acquired while marching through the forest and climbing mountains were quite high.

"I'm telling you this war is nothing but a waste of time and resources. Like, I understand it would be nice if the Empire was gone, but there''s no way we're going to win this fight. The Empire has been around for a long time and dealt with a lot of rebellions, especially recently, which would make you think the Empire was in a weakened state, but you'd be mistaken."

The Ashen One didn't say anything in response to this man's complaints, but his curiosity did spike. He didn't know much about this Empire he was talking about, or the area they were in, but his current traveling companion was very forthcoming with information, even though he didn't ask for any of this information.

**"... Why exactly is the Northern Province fighting the Empire?"** The Ashen One asked after some time.

"Pfft, beats me." The man answered almost immediately. "It just sort of happened if I'm being honest. One day everything's calm and peaceful, and then the next day, all I'm hearing all about from friends and family is how we're going to war with the Empire."

"Really?" The Ashen One questioned with a tinge of surprise.

"Really." The man affirmed.

_Interesting,_ was the thought that entered the Ashen One's mind after hearing that. He wasn't that surprised by that chain of events, for it sounded like the man next to him came from a somewhat isolated place, which made it's suddenness be understandable.

"Anyways, where exactly are you from? Your armor makes me think you're somewhat of a noble, but I've never seen a noble go anywhere without at least a horse for transport." The man inquired after a couple seconds of silence.

"I'm not a noble, and where I hail from is a place called Astora." The Ashen One answered with almost zero hesitation.

"Astora? I'm afraid I've never heard of a place named that, what's it like?" The driver declared in a serious tone.

**"... A refine place."** The Ashen One revealed with a bit of reluctance. He had no idea how long it had been since he had seen the lands of Astora, but from what he recalled, it was a rich and refined place.

"A refined place, huh? Alright, next question, how the hell are you not freezing cold? I'm wearing one of the thickest coats I have and I'm still super cold, but when I look at you, you don't even seem to be fazed by the weather!" The man declared.

**"... I just have a high tolerance when it comes to a lot of things, and coldness is one of them."** The Ashen One answered with a bit of reluctance. He was beginning to wonder if the people of this age had a weak resistance in general, for this was the second time he was asked this.

"I find that hard to believe, but seeing how you don't seem to be shaking or anything like that, I guess that's true." The man declared after a few seconds of looking at him before returning his gaze to the road ahead of them.

The Ashen One didn't say anything at first, but after about ten to twenty seconds, he asked the driver with a trace of curiosity in his voice. **"How long until we reach the Capital?" **

"Mmmm," The man practically hummed as he thought about it. "We're not that far from it, but we still got some way to go, so I'd say about mid-evening is when we will reach it. Why?"

**"Just curious."** Was all the Ashen One answered with as he moved his right arm slightly so that he could see the amulet that he had tied to his wrist. He didn't say anything about this, but the gem at the center of it was glowing, and if someone was to look closely enough, then they would notice the small arrowhead inside the gem that was pointing towards the way they were going.

* * *

After about six hours of resting, and answering a few questions the guardsmen at the gate had for him, the Ashen One finally reached the capital city of the Northern Province, Airekor.

He had dismounted from the carriage he had been riding on, and as he was doing this, the driver said to him in a chipper tone as he offered his left hand to him. "Good luck with whatever business you have here, sir. It was nice chatting with you, and I hope that one day we could meet again!"

**"Likewise."** The Ashen One stated as he stopped dismounting and shook the man's hand. He doubted they would actually meet again, but he had learned a good amount of information from him, so he could agree it was nice chatting with him.

Once done with that, the Ashen One finished dismounting, and upon his feet touching the ground, he looked at the amulet tied to his wrist.

_This thing really makes things a lot more easier for me,_ he thought after staring at the necklace for several seconds. He had already prepared himself to ask a lot of people if they had seen the Fire Keeper after the encounter with the old woman in the woods, but with this, there was no point in doing that.

Of course, there was the small chance the old woman lied to him about the amulet, but why would she have done that? Not to mention, what would she gain in doing that?

With that thought in mind, the Ashen One began to walk in the direction the arrowhead inside the amulet was pointing to.

He didn't interact with anyone he had passed by throughout his walk, and had expected to find her soon, but after walking through the city's streets for who knows exactly how long, the Ashen One found himself staring at the city's stone wall, which caused his lips to curve downwards into a frown.

He was upset, he had expected to run into the Fire Keeper soon, but if he was to believe the amulet, then it was telling him that she wasn't here and that he must leave the city.

_If she isn't here, then I have no reason to stay here, but what if it isn't working properly?_

He didn't want to doubt the old woman and her gift, especially after singing it some praises, but if he was to think about it logically, then the Fire Keeper should be somewhere in this city. She wasn't a warrior like him, and with Danger Beasts being scattered throughout the land it would be hard for her to survive on her own since she had no combat expertise.

_I need to find the Fire Keeper, but is it wise to just leave this place without looking around?_

The Ashen One had no problem walking to his next destination, but with these doubtful thoughts filling his mind, he didn't know if it was the wisest thing to do at the moment. He wanted to believe that the amulet was right, and that he had no reason to ask around here, but he also didn't want to miss her due to him not taking the time to ask if anyone had seen her.

**"Ugh,"** He groaned out of frustration before putting his hand on top of his helmet.

He was unsure what to do, and because he was so focused on this, he didn't seem to notice the group of men approaching him from behind. He had walked down a somewhat dark alleyway in order to reach where he was now so there was practically no one around.

"Hey!" One of the men practically shouted causing the Ashen One to turn around and see six slightly armored and armed men blocking his path back to the city's street.

He had no idea who had said this and was half tempted to look around in order to see if they were speaking to someone else and not him, when he had realized he was the only one in here besides them.

**"Yes?"** He asked in response.

"You don't look like you're from around here, you a Southerner?" The now assumed to be leader of the group demanded in a serious filled tone as he pointed his club at him.

**"No?"** The Ashen One answered in a slightly uncertain manner. He didn't know what a Southerner was, but if he had to assume what it was, then it was someone who lived in a place South from here.

"Really? Then where are you from?" The man asked as he rested his club on his shoulder, and his men started to spread out and surround the Ashen One.

**"I'm from Astora,"** the Ashen One firmly stated as he continued to stand there. He wasn't fazed by their movements, and was mentally preparing himself to retaliate should they start attacking him.

"Hmph, sounds Southerner to me." The man declared with a shrug of his shoulders as his lips curved upwards into a small smile.

**"... Does it really?"** The Ashen One questioned after seeing a few of the men around them twirl their weapons and twist their bodies to loosen their muscles.

"It does, but you know what?" The man asked with a hint of eagerness seeping into his voice that didn't go unnoticed by the Ashen One.

**"... What?"** He questioned after a while.

"You look like a rich guy, so I'll give you a choice. You can either give us some of your money, and by that I mean pretty much all of it, or you can refuse and then die. The choice is yours." The leader of the group declared, which caused the Ashen One to frown.

**"I don't have any money."** He proclaimed, which was actually true, but the man merely sighed in response to this information.

"Looks like it's going to be the hard option, men kill him." He declared.

* * *

_**To Be Continued.**_

_**Well, I could have wrote a bit more, aka I could have wrote a fight scene, but I didn't feel like it, so I ended here. Laziness is a virtue. Anyways, I have officially decided where the Fire Keeper will be, and it is not here. I did have an idea or two where she is here, but she gets taken, but then I felt that was too soon, so I went with another idea. Now, with that said, I go for the journey awaits!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.**

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The Ashen One said nothing as he sat up against the back wall in a dark and cold cell. It had been about an hour since he got here, and so far, no one of high rank has yet to speak to him.

The guards that had escorted him here had told him before entering this room that someone would talk to him soon, but no one has came to see him yet, which was starting to agitate him a little.

He had understood the need to question him, for how he had handled the situation earlier was somewhat ruthless, but to throw him into a place like this and make him wait when he was the victim was unnecessary. He was willing to reveal all the details of what had happened the moment the guards came running down the alleyway, so why were they making him wait?

It made no sense to him, but luckily, he needed to wait no longer, for he heard the sound of the metal door to him room unlock and saw it open.

Upon the door opening, he was greeted by the sight of a young, and good looking man that had long black hair and blue eyes. He wore a grey suit of armor on top of a purple high-collared shirt along with a metal headpiece that looked kind of like a circlet. It had a symbol on the center of it, which were identical to the ones on his chest plate and shoulder guards. He also wore a purple cape.

"Good evening, Mister..." The man declared before trailing off and leaving the Ashen One a chance to speak.

**"... Uldren."** The Ashen One revealed after a few seconds of silence.

"Uldren, yes. Good evening, Mister Uldren," the man declared with a couple nods of his head. "I've heard quite about from my men, actually, I've heard a lot about you from them."

**"You're a lot younger than I was expecting."** The Ashen One stated in a neutral tone. He had been expecting someone that looked older than him, but the person before him looked no older than twenty, so he was a little taken back.

"I get that a lot." The man answered with a smile. "When people hear about the Northern Hero, they usually think of a battle-hardened man with multiple scars going across their face, and not me."

The Ashen One said nothing at this. He wasn't that surprised by this statement, and could now understand why he was a high ranking personnel, for he was once a champion too.

"Anyways," he continued as his expression stiffened. "_Who_ exactly are you and _why_ are you here?"

Ignoring the hostility in the man's voice, the Ashen One answered his two questions. **"I'm nobody of importance, and I'm simply looking for someone."**

"Oh? And who's that someone you're looking for?" His interrogator demanded while still giving him a sour look.

**"... A woman."** The Ashen One revealed after a few seconds. He had been half tempted to tell the man to stop treating him like this, but decided not to in the end.

At this, the Northern Hero furrowed his brows and said in a skeptical manner. "A woman? You're telling me you came to _my city_, _my stronghold_ to find a woman?"

**"Yes."** The Ashen One affirmed with zero hesitation.

The Northern Hero was quiet at first, but it wasn't long after a smile crept up on his face and he began to laugh loudly. "She must be something special then if you came all the way here where the war is at."

**"She is."** The Ashen One declared almost immediately. He didn't bother bringing up the fact that he had actually came farther from the North, but that was simply because he saw no need to do so.

Once again, the Northern Hero laughed, although this laughter was more along the lines of a chuckle than a full-blown laugh like the one a few seconds ago.

"Alrighty then," he started as his giggling slowly came to a stop. "If you are truly here looking for your woman, then I guess I can let you go and continue your search, but first I want to offer you something."

The Ashen One tilted his head in response to this, and said,** "and what is that?"**

"A place in my ranks." He boldly declared as he offered him a hand up. "As you're aware I am in the middle of a war and I need every good fighter I can get my hands on, and somebody who can take on six armed men and not kill them is someone definitely a cut above the rest."

At this, the Ashen One was quiet. He had already made up his mind the moment he had been given the offer, but he didn't want to be seen as rude, so he waited a couple of seconds before replying.

**"Thank you, but I'm afraid I will have to decline your offer. The woman I seek is very important, and I need to find her immediately."** The Ashen One stated with a tiny tinge of regret in his voice.

"Unfortunate, but I understand." Numa declared with a bit of disappointment in his voice. "I'm sure if I was in your position I'd say the same thing."

**"... Thank you for being understanding."** The Ashen One stated after a few seconds of staring. He hadn't expected this type of reaction from the man, so what he had just said was genuine.

"Think nothing of it." He assured as he offered Uldren a hand up. "I may be in need of good soldiers, but I'm not that desperate. However, I do ask that once you find your woman you do reconsider the offer. The Empire is something that needs to be defeated and destroyed."

The Ashen One didn't say anything as he accepted the hand up, but once he was on his two feet, he said, **"I will consider it."**

* * *

_**To Be Continued.**_

_**I know its short, very short in fact, but I'm getting back into writing, and the original idea I had for this chapter was long gone. I got nothing more to say then that, so I'll see you in the next chapter whenever that is. **_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot.**

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As the Ashen One was about to leave the Northern Stronghold, he heard in the faint distance a roar of some sort that made him give pause.

He had no idea what it was that had released this noise he had heard, but it must have been something of-

"Hey, there a reason you stopping in the middle of the pathway?" A man wearing the Northern Army uniform demanded causing the Ashen One's gaze to lower and fall on him.

**"... Did you not hear it?"** He asked the soldier in a neutral tone that lacked all emotion.

At first, the man was silent, but after a couple of seconds, he couldn't help but inquire with curiosity in his voice. "Hear what?"

As he was about to respond, the Ashen One heard that roar once more, only this time it didn't sound as far off and was slightly louder. It also seemed he was not the only one to hear it this time around, for the soldier he was speaking to glanced up at the sky as if he would find whatever it was that emitted this noise up there.

He wasn't the only one that had done this, in fact, dozens of Northerners who were military and non-military had ceased whatever it was they were doing in an attempt to locate the source of this noise.

Several seconds passed, and it wasn't after they passed the man he had been talking to looked back at the Ashen One and asked him. "Was that what you had heard?"

**"Yes****.****"** The Ashen One answered as he looked at the man as another deafening noise emitted across the skies with this one being louder than the previous ones.

The soldier would have asked him another question, but right as he opened his mouth to respond, another loud noise echoed across the skies, except this was one he was familiar with and brought back numerous memories for the Ashen One.

What they had heard was the sound of a bell going off that caused them to avert their gazes from one another and to where the bell noise was coming from.

It wasn't long very long after they had heard this, they heard another roar followed by what sounded like cries of distress in the distance.

Curious as to what exactly was going on in the city, the soldier began to leave his post only to see off in the far distance something in the sky getting larger and larger. He at first had no idea what it was, but after a few seconds it clicked with him and he muttered the word.

"Dragon."

The Ashen One had heard him say this to himself along with everything else going on, and would have walked out of the gateway when people started shouting from above them on the battlements. "Close the gate!"

_What would closing a gate do to stop a dragon?_ He couldn't help but wonder this as the guardsman quickly reentered the stronghold and went to close the gate along with a few others who were wearing the same uniform as him.

He didn't give voice to what was in his mind and instead stood there and saw right before the gate closed a wave of flames hit the city.

It wasn't long after he bore witness to this someone, who he assumed had authority, came marching out of the fort shouting orders which had caused the Ashen One to shift his attention towards him.

However, his attention did not linger on the man for long, for somebody shouted with all of their might. "Incoming!" Which had made him turn to see who had shouted this only to see a part of the battlements be set ablaze in orange flames and a large beast fly over the burning rampart.

He saw several things be fired at the source of the carnage around him, but none of it seemed to have an effect for the dragon did not falter at all and actually began to ascend slowly.

Contemplating on whether or not he should pull out his dragon-slaying bow and shoot it, the soldier who he had spoken to earlier grabbed ahold of his arm and said with concern in his voice. "What are you doing just standing here still!? Don't you see a dragon is attacking!?"

**"... Yes."** Responded the Ashen One as he shrugged the man off of him and ahold of the wooden box he carried on him and opened it. He then put one of his hands in it, and after a second or two, he pulled out something that caused the man's eyes to widen to the point they looked like they were bulging out of his socket.

Those that were around the two of them had also seen what he had done, and didn't bother hiding their surprise either.

What he had done was pull out from that tiny box a tremendously large bow that appeared to be made out of a large bone that was larger than him himself.

"What are you-"

"Give me some room." The Ashen One interrupted in the same tone he had always spoken in causing the man to frown and hesitantly accept his request. His gaze did not leave the dragon that was now starting to turn on them.

Believing this would be the best position, the Ashen One then planted his bow into the ground and opened his box once more only to pull out four large looking spears that appeared to be made purely out of iron and planted them onto the ground next to him.

Surprised once more, the soldier became tempted to ask what on earth he planned on doing, but instead decided to remain quiet and watch as the Ashen One _knocked_ and then_ drawed_ the bow back all the way with what looked like ease.

He didn't fire immediately, but after altering the angle just a smidgen he let loose the metal projectile causing a loud snapping noise to crack across the courtyard.

Several watched the arrow travel across the skies with eyes full of interest, but the Ashen One did not. No, he had already grabbed another arrow and started knocking it.

Once it was knocked, he then finally looked up and saw his arrow hit the beast, but it was not where he had wanted it to. He had aimed directly for its center, but the arrow had gone off course a bit and crippled it instead.

Knowing he won't miss this time, the Ashen One began to draw the bow back once again and waited for it to stabilize itself a bit before firing. After a couple seconds had passed, the dragon's sporadic movements became a lot more controlled, and upon it doing so, he unleashed his second arrow.

However, before the arrow could hit its mark, a sheet of ice manifested in between the two of them which had effectively stopped his arrow and caused the Ashen One's eyes to dilate a bit.

_Interesting_, he thought as he stood up and wondered if this was something the dragon was capable of doing or not. He had never seen a dragon create a wall of ice before, but he had seen a dragon embed abyss magic into its fire breath before, so he was curious about this.

As he thought about this, the soldier that wasn't that far from him said in an understanding manner. "It all makes sense now. She's on that thing."

Curious as to what he meant by that, the Ashen One was about to ask for an elaboration when suddenly he saw an enormously large icy blue ball appear out of thin air above the dragon.

"Oh my-" The soldier began before being drowned out by several people who had yelled.

"Take cover!"

It wasn't very long after those two words were shouted did the ball begin to drop on the castle's position.

* * *

**Note From Author:** I know, I'm back but it was a short chapter, so you guys might want more, I get it, but this was more of a tease of what is to come. I won't say when it'll come, but I'm hoping I'll have the next chapter out in 4-8 days. If I don't, well that's probably cause I'm working on my Mass Effect story. Or, and this isn't certain, it might be because I'm working on Everybody Loves Danger Beasts story because I have actually started working on that one too. I don't know, we'll see what happens.


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